Lung Cancer Facts

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and the world.

More lives are lost each year to lung cancer than to colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers combined.

The risk of dying from lung cancer is 82% greater than the risk of dying from breast cancer.

Anyone can get lung cancer, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or smoking history and increasingly people who have never smoked are being diagnosed with lung cancer. Only 35% of lung cancer patients are current or former smokers.

1 in 16 people in the U.S. can expect to receive a lung cancer diagnosis. That’s 1 out of every 14 men, and 1 out of every 17 women.

The American Cancer Society estimates that about 228,820 new cases of lung cancer would be diagnosed in 2020.

Lung cancer is rarely detected early on. Only 19% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it’s caught before it spreads, the chance for 5-year survival improves to 55%.

Lung cancer receives the least federal research funding per cancer-related death.

Only 6% of federal government dollars spent on cancer research are spent on lung cancer research.

Lung cancer research needs an investment that matches the impact of the disease.

Strategic investment in lung cancer research will ensure patients the same promise that is now available for breast, prostate, colorectal, and other cancers — earlier detection, more effective treatment options, higher quality of life, and thousands of lives saved.

For more lung cancer statistics visit https://lungevity.org/for-supporters-advocates/lung-cancer-statistics.